People stare at exotic cars, so the right supercar or top-end vehicle can be great for a brand. Exotic cars grab people’s attention at a Manhattan brand event, and a street photo can be advertising gold. The devil’s in the details: choosing a car that matches your brand, picking a location it can reach, and sorting permits, insurance, and logistics.
Big Crowds
Exotic cars draw big crowds. People passing by will stop for a cool car, and the brand gets a chance to convert them with relevant messaging. The right car attracts photographers and videographers, giving you creative material to use in other campaigns. The crowd who watches exotic cars is also the crowd who takes dozens of pictures and videos, and this era’s influencers gravitate towards luxury cars. One activation at a prime location can yield thousands of social posts.
When a product launch borrows the aspiration of an exotic car, your event breaks through. One example: A smartphone launch in Chelsea with a McLaren 720S, where the car became the most photographed thing there. It got over 2 million impressions. A Lamborghini parked outside the pop-up or store opening announces ‘upscale’ to passers-by. After watching for a while, they might try the new store. You can also piggyback on big auto shows, such as the New York International Auto Show, which draws over a million visitors a year.
If you work with influencers, you can be sure they won’t just want pictures of one side of a car, one interior shot, and a brief walk-through. A photoshoot could be half-day, full-day or multi-day, depending on the brand and the car. Creators want multiple angles, interior and exterior, engine bay, and even driving footage. You might activate more than one car, or more than one day. During Fashion Week, one fashion house rotated a Ferrari, Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce among different influencers over five days. The combined reach was over 10 million followers.
Match a Car to Your Audience
Image is everything for your exotic car, so the first step is to match a car to your audience. A Rolls Royce gives you a very different image than a Lamborghini. Each one is high-end, but each carries a different perception for your customers. If the brand is young, bold, and exciting, a neon-colored Lamborghini is the right call. If your brand is aspirational, Ferrari’s racing heritage, Italian elegance, and luxury goods reputation work well with spirits. Go for the Rolls-Royce for your brand if you’re courting clients in real estate, private banking, or wealth management. It carries a different weight than other cars, even if it doesn’t shout as loud. If your brand is built around cutting-edge innovation, McLaren carries Formula 1 technology that connects to tech companies, startups, and future-forward products. Want to speak to wealth without flaunting it? Bentley has a legacy of craftsmanship that speaks to real quality. Porsche 911s show a versatile icon that’s ready for anything.
A good car goes anywhere in NYC, but you should look at your target audience to select the ideal location. Pick a location with people who buy or influence customers in your product category. The foot traffic and visibility in Times Square are unmatched for big events. Busy schedules have people rushing, and they are not stopping for anything boring. They might stop for a surprise, and if that surprise has a commercial message, so much the better. Meatpacking District and SoHo are perfect for trendy, upscale, fashion and lifestyle brands. Midtown by Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park work well for events targeting business professionals and tourists.
The Maze of New York City Permits
The street is a public place, so it is regulated. Standing a vehicle on a street for commercial advertising is not allowed. If you want to take over a street, curb lane or sidewalk, you need to apply through the Street Activity Permit Office. The non-refundable fee is $25, but the application might require a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy that names the City. Filming the car needs a film permit if you use prop vehicles, more than handheld gear or ask for parking. The fee is $500 per 14-day term, and you need a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy that names the City of New York.
Even moving the car indoors does not escape all rules: The Fire Department must approve any vehicle displayed indoors. The FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention must review a plan of vehicles and exits, and the applicant must file a sworn affidavit. It’s not just NYC regulations that affect a commercial vehicle activation. Shopping centres, corporate campuses, and event spaces have their own property management, and many of them will want separate certificates of insurance. This is where a production coordinator who knows the maze of New York City permits comes in handy.
Getting the car where you need it is a challenge. You need delivery timed to your schedule: either first thing in the morning or right at the end of the day. Set up at 6 AM, or drop the car off for overnight parking. For a major activation, a handler stays with the vehicle, and politely keeps hands off. The handler can move the car for new shots, and carries a detailing kit because NYC streets are dusty. If you want to shoot while the car is being driven, that’s trickier. A few hours of traffic will limit driving to a few miles.
Damage is always a risk. New York caps on damage waiver prices do not apply to cars over $50,000 MSRP, so the rental company prices this risk. If an accident happens, the driver can be held liable for actual damage. The driver also has 72 hours after getting the incident report to ask to inspect the vehicle.
The budget for a supercar activation depends on which car, how long, and how much work is involved delivering it, moving it, and handling it. The simplest is a parked display: delivery, the day on display, and pick-up.
Whatever the scope, start early. For larger street events, pulling out under 10 days before costs 90% of the City’s processing cost. Know your goals, budget and scope before you book the car. Finally, make sure your car enhances your message, rather than overshadowing it.
